sixx

VAR is wank

This is absolute wank.

I dunno. A big part of his appeal for me is his enfant terrible attitude. He's probably horrible to work with at times but I don't really care.

Out: 1) Isaac Hayden (20 mil) 2) Dwight Gayle (10 mil) 3) Joselu (2 mil) 4) Ciaran Clark (2 mil) 5) Mohamed Diamé (5 mil) +39 mil I actually have no idea with the contract situations with this lot which of course factors massively into their selling price. I'll obviously be gutted to see Hayden leave but I'm pretty confident we can get up to 20 mil for him. Gayle, Diamé and Clark can leave. All good servants to the club. It's obviously blinding optimism wanting a couple packets of crips for Joselu let alone 2 million but here's to hoping. In: 1) Salomon Rondón 2) Right back - Clyne? 3) Centre midfielder - Philip Billing? 4) Left back - Barbet? 5) Back up striker - Che Adams? Have no idea whether these are within budget and/or good enough Starting XI next season could look something like this. Dubravka Schar Lascelles Lejeune Clyne? Ritchie Longstaff Billing? Perez Almiron Rondon? Bench: Darlow Barbet? Fernandez Shelvey Ki Atsu Adams? Back up players: Elliot Muto Yedlin Manquillo Very reasonable to assume only two starting XI players will be replaced even though five would be brought in. We don't need goalkeepers nor centre backs (what even is life). Yedlin is not good enough for the PL and we desperately need an upgrade. Haven't seen Clyne for Bournemouth, is he still any good? Looked great at times for Southampton and Liverpool and still only 28. Yedlin can stay on as a back up option along with Manquillo. We very much need someone to provide competion for Ritchie at left back, have heard the lad at Brentford is good and apparently out of contract. Wouldn't mind if Ritchie started next season as first choice but someone should be providing him with competition. Even if he's reduced to being a back up player we need his kind around the team and in the dressing room. Really excited to see Longstaff come back from injury. Diame and Hayden leaving leaves us with at least one new centre midfielder to bring in. Billing from Huddersfield has looked great, only 22 years old as well, we really should be looking into that. Should hang on to Shelvey as an option, we're never going to get good money for him but he's a good option to have if we're lacking creativity in midfield. Ki is a very dependable back up player, bags of experience. Most important thing is getting Rondon. Speaks for itself. Next most important thing is retaining Perez. Along with Almiron we have quite an exciting front three. Muto has not looked very convincing so we need someone who can play across the front three and provide some back up firing power. Have no idea what Che Adams would cost or frankly whether he would be into coming here without having a guaranteed spot in the first team. Maybe he's an option. Muto can stay on but I'm not very optimistic. Expecting something in this vein to happen during the summer is in my opinion very modest, to say the least. But it just goes to show how little we need to push on and challenge the top 8.

Excited to see more of him. He's a lot more physically capable than I anticipated. Lightning quick and can really take a strong challenge without folding. Going to be a quality player for us for years to come of Rafa stays.

Just a quick reminder that Alan Smith, Nicky Butt and Jack Colback have played a combined 369 matches for Newcastle

No wonder Rafa really resisted taking him off even if he was practically begging for a substitution. We're awful without him. So pleased to see the understanding he has with Rondón. Just hope he isn't out for long.

Not good enough to be a PL player. Bye.

Whichever team snaps up Hayden is a really lucky club. Becoming a really capable all-round midfielder. Should be looking at a very hefty figure for him.

Should’ve been a yellow for Rondon.

Said it before and I’ll say it again - not good enough to be a PL starter. Would make a decent squad player but shouldn’t be relied on as first choice right back.

Even though we should be looking to replace him in the first XI we definitely need him as an utility man, back up and a leader in the dressing room - really dread the days of Coloccini captaincy when we had absolute fuck all leadership in the squad.

Would love that Was thinking he might be able to link up with Muto easier as well as they both speak German and Japanese. Obviously he has a ton of quality as well. Why would two Japanese guys converse in German?

Could've scored a lot more Got ourselves in a number of scoring opportunities where just a tiny bit of extra quality would have produced a goal or at least a save from the keeper. This Cardiff lot is absolutely rancid, managed just one shot on goal, a proper attacking side would have had a field day against these today. Have to admit though, a centre back trio of Lascelles, Lejeune and Schar is extremely strong - we even have Fernandez to call up on. What's worse is we seemingly have to rely on them scoring as well.

Just learned that Rashford has played 150 games for Man Utd... wtf feels like he just broke on to the scene.

Liverpool have a couple of world class fullbacks for the combined price of 6 million while Citeh spunk 50 million on a right back they keep on the bench.

Just so painful to watch. Such a glaring example tonight when we had a chance to break from the counter. Atsu, in acres of space plays an absolutely honking pass into the heels of Ritchie out wide, who - of course channels the touch of a rapist, resulting in us immediately losing the momentum and urgency. Concludes with Ritchie delivering a total abortion of a cross.

It wasn't even a bad performance by any means and it just makes it that much more infuriating. You can very clearly see that Benítez is squeezing every tiny bit of ability from this lot and it's nowhere - not anywhere near the amount of quality needed for a passable PL club. Have no idea why I bother anymore.

If Liverpool go for Pulisic in jan we really should be in for Lallana. Don't even know why I'm saying that tho.

Would've taken that before the game. Good to see Atsu finding his feet and Ritchie getting an assist. Rondón was great, so was Dúbravka while Diamé was also pretty good. No one really had a bad game save for maybe Perez who offered very, very little. Would like to see more of Muto in his stead.

Muto on for Perez please. Diame looks knackered as well.

Who on here used to think Troy Deeney was an Italian fella called Troidini? So funny

This is exactly why we need Ritchie. Only one who can play a decent cross.

Siege defending until they score. Fun.

Our best goalkeeper since Given I'd say.